Quill assembly



W. B. EWING QUILL. ASSEMBLY I Dec. 11, 1956 Filed Sept. 9, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet l u o o a o a a W. B. EWING QUILL ASSEMBLY Dec. 11, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 9, 1952 Rn, W W mw N% Dec. 11, 1956 w. B. EWING QUILL ASSEMBLY 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 9,-1952 fnueni r" ll/czlz ilqyfi Ewing;

QUILL ASSEMBLY Walkley B. Ewing, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignor to Ewing Development Company, Grand Rapids, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application September 9, 1952, Serial No. 308,663

2 Claims. (Cl. 140-30) The present invention relates in general to weaving machines and more particularly to quills utilized in weaving machines for supplying and twisting together pairs of warp wires for holding laterally extending filler or louver wires in place in a wire fabric comprising laterally spaced louver wires and longitudinally spaced pairs of warp wires.

-An example of the general type of'weaving machine to which the present invention is particularly applicable is found in W. B. Ewing Pat. No. 2,223,317.

In weaving machines of this :type wherein the quills function both to feed the warp wires and to move the same relative to the median plane of the fabric for the purpose of forming a shed for receiving a louver or filler wire, the resistance to the passage of the warp wires through the quills must be controlled to a relatively firm degree if said operation is to be accomplished. This is particularly true where the quills must produce an interlocking twist between pairs of Warp wires since these interlocking twists or ties must be of consistent firmness if the fabric is to be symmetrical in appearance and is to satisfy the specifications required of this type of fabric.

In convention-a1 quills utilized in this type of weaving machine the warp wires generally have been discharged from the forward ends of the quills over the sharp edge of a hard block. Ordinarily the block is formed of a United States Patent wear resistant material and it has been found that during rotation of the quills in order to interlockingly twist together the pair of warp wires the sharp edges of block cut into the relatively softer warp wires, thereby preventing the free discharge of the warp wires from the quills and greatly weakening the warp wires. This has ,resulted in a large amount of warp wire breakage necessitating stopping the weaving machine .to repair the breaks in the warp wires.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved quill for use in a wire fabric weaving machine, wherein guide rollers are provided at the warp wire discharge end of the quill, which rollers are effective to properly direct the warp wires without dam-aging them in any way.

A further object of the invention is to provide. an improved war-p wire tensioning means for a quill adapted to be used in a wire fabric weaving machine. In this connection it is a more specific object of the invention to provide means for successively bending and straightening the warp wires whereby the resistance of the warp ,wires to the successive bending and straightening is effective to tension the warp wires.

.A more specific object of the invention is to provide a quill having a warp wire tensioning means incorporated therein comprising a plurality of spaced roller elements around which the warp wires are looped and which, due to the resistance of the warp wires to the successive bending and straightening imparted. thereto by the rollers, as the warp wires-are drawn through the quill, are effective to tension the warp wires. 9

' The'above and other numerous objects and advantages "ice of :the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a portion of a weaving machine of the type with which the present invention is associated;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a weaving machine of the type disclosed in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a detailed view of one end of the improved quill disclosed herein;

Fig. 5 is a detailed View of the other end of the improved quill disclosed herein;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 77 in Fig. 4 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

With reference now to the drawings wherein like reference numbers have been used to identify identical parts in each of the figures of the drawings, the weaving machine comprises a weaving head, identified generally by reference numeral 10 (Fig. 2), which weaving head includes a quill assembly 11 and a comb assembly 12. A suitable mechanism is provided for driving the quill assembly 11 and the comb assembly 12 and such mechanism includes in general, a main drive shaft 13, a quill drive shaft 14, clutch mechanism 15 (Fig. l) for completing a drive to the quill drive shaft 14, a quill operating clutch cam 16 and a pair of comb assembly operated cams which are only partially shown and which are indicated in general by reference numeral 17.

The power transmission mechanism for driving the quill assembly 11 will first be described. The main drive shaft 13 is rotatably mounted in a suitable manner and has the clutch operating cam 16 adjustably secured thereto by means of a plurality of bolts 18 and slots 19 formed in the cam 16. Whenever the weaving machine is in operation, the drive shaft 13 and cam 16 rot-ate continuously in a counterclockwise direction, as indicated by the arrow 20, and during each revolution of the cam 16, a followerroller 21 rotatably mounted on one end of .a lever 22, which lever is pivotally mounted by means of a bolt 23 secured to the stationary portion of the weaving machine, climbs .a sloping portion 24 on the same periphery, thereby pivoting the member 22 in a clockwise direction around the bolt 23. A tension spring 25 may be provided for continuously biasing the lever 22, causing its follower roller 21 to continuously engage the periphery of cam 16. However, it is contemplated that the tension spring 25 may be replaced by any other means for resiliently biasing the lever 22 in a counterclockwise direction. Additional means comprising a stationary rubber bumper 26 secured to a stationary portion of the machine, are also provided for biasing the lever 22 in a counterclockwise direction about its pivot bolt 23. The rubber bumper 26 has been found to be particularly effective in preventing overthrow of the lever 22 when its follower roller 21 reaches the apex of .the sloping surface 24. I

The lever 22 is formed with a. gearsector or rack 27 adapted to cooperate with a pinion gear 28 rotatably mounted on the quill drive shaft 14. As is obvious, while the follower roller 21 climbs the sloping surface 24 on the cam 16, effecting clockwise pivotal movement of thelev'er 22, the rack 27 drives the pinion- 28 in a counterclockwise direction. The pinion 28 is provided with an axially extending collar 29 (Fig. l) which carries a plurality of pins 30., The pins 30 comprise one element of the clutch mechanism 15. The other element of the clutch mechanism comprises a reciprocable collar 31 slidably splined on the shaft 14. and provided with a radially extended flange 32 having a plurality of apertures 33 therein for receiving the pins 30. The collar 31 is provided with a peripheral groove 34 adapted to receivea pair of lugs 35 carried respectively by the arms of a bifurcated shift fork 36. The shift fork 36 is pivotally mounted by means of a stationary bolt 37. The other end of the shift fork 36 is pivotally secured to a clutch actuating armature 38 by means of a pivot bolt 39. The armature 38 is controlled by a pair of solenoids, not shown, the energization of which is respectively effective. to engage the clutch 15 and disengage .the clutch 15. Itis not deemednecessary for purposes of the present invention to make anyfurther description of the clutch operating mechanism.

As has already been pointed out, the shaft 13 and the cam 16 are adapted to rotate in a counterclockwise direction during the operation of the weaving machine and, accordingly, the lever 22 is pivoted rapidly in a clockwise direction when the follower roller 21 climbs the sloping surface 24. Thereafter, during each revolution of the cam 16, as the follower 21 follows the slowly declining periphery of the cam, the spring and rubber bumper 26 move the lever 22 more slowly in a counterclockwise direction, to the position shown. The clockwise pivotal movement of the lever 22 is quite rapid due to the relative steepness of the sloping surface 24 of the cam 16. The rubber bumper 26 prevents overthrow or overtravel of the follower 21 upon its reaching the peak of the cam 16. The clutch operating armatures, which are not shown, effect pivotal movement of the shift fork 36 to cause clutch engagement in timed sequence with the rotation of the cam 16. The clutch 15 is adapted to be engaged at some point in the rotation of the cam 16 slightly ahead of the position of the cam, as shown, and remain engaged until the follower 21 has reached the apex of the cam 16. Thereafter, the other clutch operating solenoid is effective to cause disengagement of the clutch 15. Thus, as the follower 21 follows the incline of the cam 16 permitting the lever 22 and the rack 27 to pivot counterclockwise, the clutch is disengaged and the pinion 28 and the clutch element 29 remrn to the position shown in Fig. 2 preparatory to the next engagement of the clutch 15.

The shaft 14 is rotatably mounted by means of a plurality of bearings 40 (Fig. 1), each of which is stationarily disposed in a portion of the frame 41. The shaft 14 is provided with a plurality of beveled gears 42, each fixed to the shaft 14. The beveled gears 42 mesh respectively with beveled gears 43 suitably fixed to short shafts 44 rotatably mounted in a vertically extending stationary plate 45. Each of the shafts 44 is'provided, 'at its opposite end, with a pinion gear 46, each of'the pinions 46 meshing with idler pinions 47 disposed alternately between the pinions 46 and rotatably mounted on suitable shafts 48 carried by the vertical upstanding plate 45. It is, therefore, apparent that 'allJof the pinions 46 rotate in the same direction upon rotation of the shaft 14 while all of the idler pinions 47 rotate in the opposite direction.

The quill assembly 11 of the weaving head '10 comprises a plurality of quills 49 having a forward warp wire guiding portion 50 and a rearwardly extending warp wire tensioning portion 51. Each of the quilts 49 is rotatably mounted in an aperture 52 (Fig. .4) provided in the vertical plate 45. and in an aperture 53 formed in a stationary vertical plate 54 at the forward portion of the machine. Each of the quills has a small pinion gear 55 (Figs. 1 and 3) aflixed thereto by means of a suitable set screw 56. As is apparent from Fig. .1; each of the quills is disposed in a commonplane and, as is'more clearly shown in Fig. 3, the quills are divided into groups of five, with the pinion '55.- onv the middle quill of each group meshing with either one of the pinions 46 or one of the idler pinions 47. All of the pinions 55, as shown in Fig. 3, of each group of pinions mesh with the adjacent pinions in the group, and accordingly, during rotation of the shaft 14, each quill is rotated in a direction opposite to each adjacent quill. Each group of five pinions 55 is otfset, forwardly and rearwardly, from each adjacent group of pinions. This is desirable to avoid interference between the end pinions of each group and maintain a constant spacing between the quills 49. Thus interference may arise due to tolerance accumulation inherent in machinery which is not precisely machined to eliminate all possible play between the rotating parts.

The forward portion 50 of each quill is provided with a radially extending flange 57 and with a peripheral groove 58 (Fig. 4). When the pinions are disposed in the weaving head, the flange 57 abuts one side of the plate 54 and a snap ring 59 seated within the groove 58 abuts the other side of the plate 54 securing the quills in an axially stationary position. The forward portion 50 of each quill is provided with a coaxial warp wire guideway 60. A suitable plug 61, having a single aperture 62, is disposed in the forward end of the guideway 60 while a plug 63 (Fig. 5) having a pair of apertures 64 is disposed in the rearward end of each guideway 60.

The forward-most end of the portion 50 of each quill is slotted to provide a pair of forwardly projecting cars 65 (Figs. 4 and 7) integral with the flange 57. The inner surfaces of each of the cars 65 comprise parallel plane surfaces 66. Rotatably mounted between the cars 65 are two pairs of warp wire guide rollers 67 and 68. The rollers 67 and 68 are respectively rotatably mounted on suitable short shafts 69 extending through apertures 70 formed in each of the ears 65.

The tensioning portion 51 of each of the quills comprises a cylindrical element which has been cut away along surfaces 71 and 71a and 71b (Figs. 5 and 6) to provide space for mounting a plurality of tensioning rollers 72a, 72b and 720 and 73a, 73b and 730 and a pair of guide rollers 74 and 75. Each of the tensioning rollers 72a, 72b and 720 and 73a, 73b and 730 and each of the. guide rollers 74 and 75 is provided with a V-shaped periphery, as is clearly shown in Fig. 6, and each of these rollers is rotatably mounted by means of suitable mounting shafts 76.

The forward end of each of the tensioning portions of each quill 51 is provided with a coaxial aperture 77 for receiving the rearward end of the forward portion 50 of each quill. The portion 50 of each quill is designed to fit tightly within the aperture 77 so that the portions 50 and51 of the quill provide a substantially rigid structure. The rearmost portion of each quill tensioning portion 51 is provided with a pair of warp Wire guiding apertures 78.

A pair of warp wiresupply reels (not shown) are pro vided for supplying a pair of warp wires- 79 and 80 for each of the quills. "The supply reels aremounte'd in pairs, each pair being secured to a turntable to permit the reels to planetate in a manner designed to prevent crossing of the wires due to rotation of the quills. The warp wire 79 passes through one of the apertures 78-and thence is wound around each of the tensioning rollers 72a, 72b and 72c. The warp wire 79 isdirected into one of the apertures 64 by means of a guide roller 74, and, upon emerging from the forward end of the guideway 60, enters the forward portion 50 of the quill 49. The warp wire 79 passes around the guide rollers 68 and 67. Each of the guide rollers 67 and 68 is pro vided with a' peripheral groove 101 which prevents the warp wire 79 from slipping off of these rollers. It is not essential. that the forward 'ones of'the rollers 67 be notched since the notching' of the rearward Jones of the rollers-'67'will assure proper tracking of the'wires 79 and 80. In many cases. it is preferable not to notchthegforward rollers to obtain the benefit of maximum diameter for paying the wire out of the quills 49. The warp wire '80 passes through the aperture 78 at'th'e rear end of 7 each quill and is wound around each of the tensioning rollers 73a, 73b and 730 and is then directed into one of the apertures 64 by means of the guide roller 75. The warp wire 80 is guided upon emerging from the forward end of the quill by means of the other pair of rollers 67 and 68.

As the warp wires 79 and 80 leave their respective supply reels (not shown) they are substantially straight. The diameter of each of the tensioning roller 72a, 72b and 720 and 73a, 73b and 730 is sufficiently small that when the wire 79 or 80 is wound around these rollers the wires are bent. Similarly, as each of the warp wires 79 or 80 leave the tensioning rollers they are again straightened. Due to the resistance of each warp wire to the bending and straightening upon their advancing onto and leaving each tensioning roller, the wires are tensioued. It has been found that by using the three tensioning rollers for each warp-wire, the proper amount of tension is placed on them for facilitating the making of a tight interlocking twist between the respective warp wires during the rotation of the quills.

The comb assembly 12 comprises a front comb section 81 and a rear comb section 82 (Figs. 2 and 4). The :front comb section 81 is rigidly secured to a member 83 while the rear comb sect-ion 82 is rigidly secured to a member 84. Suitable means are provided for effecting vertical reciprocation of the front comb section 81 and its supporting member 83 relative to the rear comb section 82 and its supporting member 84. The member 84 consists of a relatively heavy coating pivotally mounted on a stationary shaft 85. Secured to the casting 84 is a rearwardly extending arm 86 having an adjustment screw 87 threaded thereinto. A locking nut 88 is threaded onto the adjusting screw 87 for holding the screw 87 in any desired position. The adjusting screw 87 rests upon the top of a cam follower lever 89, which lever is pivotally mounted on a stationary portion of the machine by means of a suitable pivot member 90. The cam follower lever 89 is provided with a follower roller 91 adapted to continuously engage one of the omb operating cams 17. It is to be understood that during rotation of the shaft 13 one of the comb operating cams 17 function, in cooperation with the roller 91 to reciprocate the entire comb assembly 12 forwardly and rearwardly.

The member 83 which supports the front comb sec tion 81 is provided with a slot 92 for receiving a roller 93. The roller 93 is rotatably mounted on one end of a lever 94. The lever 94 is pivotal with respect to the casting 84 and pivotally connected to sa-idcasting by means of suitable pivot bolts 95. The lever 94 extends rearwardly of the weaving machine and is provided with an adjusting bolt and locking nut substantially identical with the adjusting bolt 87 and locking nut 88. The adjusting bolt or screw for the lever 94 cooperates with a lever substantially identical with the lever 89 and said lever has a cam follower roller similar to the follower roller 91 for cooperating with the other of the comb operating cams 17. Upon rotation of the shaft 1 3 this last-referred-to operating cam 17 functions to cause pivotal movement of the lever 94 about its pivot bolt 95 so as to reciprocatethe front comb section 81 vertically with respect to the rear comb section 82.

Each comb section 81 and 82 is provided with a plurality of vertically extending slots 103 and 104 respectively (Fig. l). The slots 103 and 104 are aligned with the axis of rotation of the respective quills and are adapted to have the warp wires 79 and 80 pass therethrough. The rear comb section 82 is provided with 'a horizontal channel 97 (Fig. 4) extending throughout its length for receiving a filler or louver wire 98. After a louver wire 98 is injected into the channel 97, the quills each rotate through 360 to interlockingly twist together each pair of warp wires 79 and 80, providing a tie.99 between each successive or adjacent louver or filler wire 98. Z

In the operation of the present invention, individual louver wires 98 are successively injected into the channel 97 in the rear comb section 82 in timed sequence with the rotation of the quills 49. The sequence of opera-tion of the movement of the comb assembly and the rotation of the quills is as follows. With the clutch 15 disengaged, the comb operating cam 17 causes the comb assembly 12 to assume the position shown in Fig. 4. During this time a louver or filler wire 98 is injected into the channel 97. Immediately after the reception of the filler wire 98 in the channel 97, the comb operating cams 17 move the comb assembly 12 slightly forward to bring the louver wire 98 in the channel 97 into engagement with the shed formed by the plurality of warp wires 79 and extending from the immediately preceding tie 99 to the pair of rollers '67. At this point in the cycle, the clutch 15 is engaged by its engaging solenoid. Immediately thereafter, the sloping surface 24 on the cam 16 pivots the lever 22, causing rotation of the shaft 14. Rotation of the shaft 14 causes all the quills 49 to rotate simultaneously,thereby. providing an interlocking knot or twist'behind the louver or filler wire 98 in the channel 97.

By the time the follower 21 reaches the apex of the cam 16 each of the quills will have rotated through 360 and shortly thereafter the clutch 15 is disengaged. At this point in the cycle of operation, the comb operating cams 17 move the comb assembly 12 forwardly to advance the woven screen or fabric forwardly slightly.

1 Means (not shown) are provided for holding the woven fabric in this advanced position. Immediately there- 'after, the comb operating cams 17 cause the front comb section 81 to lower to a point which permits the filler wire 98 in the channel 97 to clear the top of the front comb section 81; Thereafter, the comb operating cams 17 move the entire comb assembly 12 rearwardly to approximately the position shown in Fig. 4. Thereafter, the front comb section 81 is again moved up to close the front of the channel 97 preparatory to the insertion of a subsequent louver or filler wire 98.

By utilizing the guide rollers 67 and 68, substantially free movement of the warp wires ,79 and 80 from the tensioning rollers 72 and 73 is permitted. The guide rollers 67 and 68 eliminate all sharp surfaces around whic the warp wire 79 and 80 must be drawn.

The guide rollers 67 provide a gentle are over which the wire travels as it passes to the tying operation. Since all sliding contact with astationary surface iselirninated, the wire has no tendency to cinch and break. Heretofore, a stationary guiding surface has alwaysbeen employed at this point. Beside the difiiculties occasioned by rapid wear of the stationary surface, it was at this point that the warp wires frequently broke. The use of the guide rollers eliminates this breakage and makes it possible to weave screen fabric from softer materials than was previously possible. It is apparent that the tension placed on the warp wires 79 and 80 by the tensioning rollers 72a, 72b and 72c and 73a, 73b and 73c, is substantially constant throughout the rotation of the quills. Accordingly, an even tension is maintained on thewarp wires 79 and 80 throughout the entiretying operation, resulting "in an evenly woven fabric; The tensioning rollers 72 and 73.

means is Provided to compensate for the varying leverage caused by'varying coil'diameter on the spoolsQhconstant tension is not provided at the point of use in the quills. Constant tension at the spool deteriorates to spasmodic and irregular tension at the quill because the rotation of the quills is intermittent while that of each turntable carrying the two spools is continuous. Since each warp wire must'be kept from tangling with the otherwarp wire of a pair by leading the warps through separate eyes at both turntable and rear end of quill, the distance from an eye in the turntable to the corresponding eye in the rear end of a quill is made inconstant by the lack of synchronism between the respectively continuous and intermittent rotation of turntables and quills. Thus slack is intermittently created and taken up in the run of warp between spool and quill, destroying control of tension in the quill even if controlled perfectly at the spool.

-It is impractical to correct this condition by rotating the spool turntables insynchronism with the intermittently rotated quills. The latter, being relatively. light and having little inertia, can easily be accelerated from their stationary condition to a high rotational velocity in a small fraction of a second, and can then'be brought to rest again equally abruptly with-out undue shock loading of the machine. Equally abrupt acceleration and retardment of the turntables would require extremely heavy duty equipment, eliminated by my invention.

The use of Weights is unsatisfactory since there is a momentary period of inoperativeness due to inertia. Further, the application of weights to a rotating pair of wires presents a complex mechanical problem; To satisfactorily solve these problems the tensioningrneans must be placed in the quills. The overall diameter of the quills is limited by the spacing between the warp wires, normally in the type of screen made by this machine a distance of not more than /2 inch. Thus, the mechanism. must be compact as well as rugged. The use of pegs to cause the wireto trace a serpentine .path is unsatisfactory. Pegs depend primarily upon frictionto develop tension. The friction between the pegs and the wire is a varying value because of the varying surface characteristics of the wire. The amount of friction developed between the wire and the pegs is also dependent upon the resistance of the spools since this determines the degree of cinching of the wire about the pegs. Thus, variations in spool resistance are greatly magnified by the cinching effect, often resulting .in wire failure. especially when pulled over a stationary surface while tightly cinched. This results: inrapid wearing of the pegs, even though bronze wire is passed over carbidepegs;

, These difiiculties are eliminated by the rollers 72 and 73. By passing the warp wires around each of these rollers the proper tension is held since there is no tendency for the wires to arch away from the rollers as is the case'when as. they wear. Frictional tensioning means dependsupon the varying co-etficient of friction between the pegs and the wire. This is a constantly fluctuating value;

.The quills disclosed herein are substantially diiferent from quills heretofore used in weaving machines of thepresent type and .it has been foundtha-t they, function far moresatisfactorily than conventional quills. More satis-- factory operation of weaving machine is obtaned due to The wire itself is normally quite abrasive This is a substant-iallyconstantfactor whereas all frietional arrangements tend to loosen- .the fact that the warp wiresare not drawn over a stationary surface at any point in their travel through the weaving machine. Accordingly, the warp wires are not damaged in any way as they proceed through the quills and ithas been found that with the present quill construction breakage of the warp wires is substantially reduced. It is contemplated that numerous changes and modifications may be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

l. A quill assembly for a warp weaving machine hav ing a plurality of wire strands passing through said quill assembly for feeding to said machine comprising: a plurality of guide and discharge rollers mounted in said quill at the discharge end thereof; a plurality of groups of freely' rotatable rollers mounted in said quill rearward of said guide and discharge rollers, one group for each of said wire strands; each of said groups including several rotatable elements arranged longitudinally of said quill whereby each of said wire strands are successively looped around each of said rotatable elements of one of said groups; the diameters of said rotatable elements being such as to continuously work the wire as it is drawn through said quill to straighten the wire and create back tension.

2. A quill assemblyfora warp weaving machine having a plurality o'f'wire strands passing through said quill assembly for feeding to said machine comprising: a plurality of guide and discharge rollers mounted in said quill at the discharge end thereof; a plurality of groups of freely rotatable "rollers mounted in said quill rearward of said guide and discharge rollers, one group for each of said Wire strands; each of said groups including several rotatable elements arranged longitudinally of said quill whereby each of said wire strands are successively looped around each of said rotatable elements of one of said groups; the diameters of said rotatable elements being such asto continuously work the wire as it is drawn through said quill to straightenthe wire and create back tension; said guide and discharge rollers including a first pair of freely rotatable rollers mounted in the discharge end of said quill; a second pair of freely rotatable rollers mounted in said quill closely adjacent said first pair of rollers and between said rotatable elements and said first pair of rollers; said rollers of said first pair being spaced from each other and each located on op posite sides of the axis of rotation of said quill; said rollers of said second pair being spaced from each other and located on opposite sides of the axis of rotation of said quill; said rollers of said first pair being located a greater distance from saidaxis than the corresponding roller of said second pair.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

